


The Unknown

by iamthatmonster



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, but not really?, it's hard to explain what exactly this is when i don't even really know, kind of a superhero thing going on?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-19
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-02-18 01:04:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2329574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamthatmonster/pseuds/iamthatmonster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael doesn't remember when Gavin started acting strange- in fact, he hadn't even noticed. But when Gavin spends the night one day and ends up having what looks like a stroke, Michael finds that there's more to the situation than meets the eye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"So we're friends, right?"

Michael looked up in surprise at the words, his eyes scanning over Gavin's face. The expression he held was that of intense contemplation, and Michael wondered what he could have been thinking that led to such a question.

"I don't even know why you'd ask that," Michael replied a few moments later, shaking his head in disbelief. "Of course we're friends. If we weren't, do you think we'd have pizza and game nights for no particular reason?" As soon as the words had left his lips, he raised a piece of pizza before taking a bite, as if to emphasize the point.

Again, Gavin looked to be deep in thought, but he nodded slowly. "Right," he murmured. "Of course." The silence that followed made Michael uncomfortable, though Gavin himself didn't seem to be affected.

"So do you want-" Michael began, but almost as soon as he had begun speaking, Gavin was cutting him off.

"Can I ask you something?"

Michael knit his eyebrows together in confusion, racking his brain for any ideas of what the other man might ask. Now that he thought about it, Gavin had been acting odd all day, almost tiptoeing around him at work, almost shrinking away whenever Michael would talk to him.

It couldn't be.

Fuck it, he had to know.

"Yeah, sure Gav," he replied, trying his best to sound casual, despite the genuine curiosity and slight nervousness he felt.

"So like-" Gavin paused for a few seconds, looking thoughtful again before starting up where he had left off. "You know dreams, right?"

The question was so random, Michael couldn't help himself from giggling, nodding his head in the process. He couldn't believe he had put so much thought into it. "Yeah, of course I fucking know dreams, what about them?"

"Well sometimes dreams are based on things, right?"

"Well yeah, I guess?" Michael didn't even try to disguise his confusion- one glance at his face and you would be able to see that he was absolutely puzzled. "Like- you see things one day, and the next they show up in your dreams?"

"No, no," Gavin exclaimed, frustration in his tone. Michael stiffened slightly at that, disliking how he had become instantly worked up. It wasn't his fault he didn't understand Gavin's explanations.

"Then what the fuck do you mean then, cause you're gonna have to be a lot more specific than that." Michael almost cringed at the sharpness of his own voice, but his annoyance far outweighed the regret.

"Like, things that could happen?"

Michael snorted at that, shaking his head. "Like seeing the future and shit? Sorry Gav, but I highly doubt that. Where the fuck did that come from? You have a dream or something?"

"Well yeah, but-"

Then Michael was the one cutting him off, raising his eyebrows, the expression on his face almost sarcastic in nature. "Well then speak up, I sure as hell want to hear it."

"I don't know if you'd want to," Gavin replied quietly, and his tone caused Michael's face to soften. He knew that sometimes he was a bit rough on Gavin, and generally it resulted in Michael feeling bad.

This time, that was indeed the case.

"Hey look," Michael said gently, rubbing nervously at the back of his neck. "I didn't mean to be so rude Gavin, honest. I'm sorry, I just-"

"You kissed me," Gavin blurted out, and Michael's eyes grew wide at the words. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth, causing him to jumble whatever he had been about to say. Gavin's face was as red as Michael's felt, and neither of them said anything for quite some time.

"I- You had a dream that I kissed you?" Michael asked finally, subconsciously moving back several inches from the other man. The expression on Gavin's face was absolutely miserable, and Michael almost felt bad for him again.

There was no way in hell he was going to admit he'd had the same dream in the past.

"Y-yeah, but-"

"So like, you want me to kiss you or some bullshit?"

"No," Gavin practically shouted, his face going several shades deeper at the words. But then he was speaking up once more. "At least- I don't think so. Do you- do you want to kiss me?"

"No!"

Michael could have slapped himself.

The silence that followed was the most awkward thing Michael could imagine, possibly even more so. Michael was drawn from his own thoughts as Gavin took a long swig of his beer, and for the first time, Michael noticed just how drunk he looked.

"I can go home, if you don't want to play games anymore," Gavin muttered, closing his eyes as the sensation of the alcohol washed over him. "Call a bloody cab or something."

A sigh passed Michael's lips, and he rolled his eyes before shaking his head. "No," he said finally. "It's fine. We're friends, right? A dumb fucking question shouldn't mess us up that much, right?"

Gavin studied Michael's face for a moment before nodding slowly. "Dumb question, right," he muttered, but then a smile was spreading across his face.

Michael couldn't help but notice it looked fake.

\----------------

Michael and Gavin crashed early that night, due to the awkwardness that had followed their conversation. Michael had sat in bed for what seemed like hours after he bid Gavin goodnight, his mind picking apart just what had gone down.

Despite how unsure he had been, the sound of Gavin's restless tossing and turning as he tried to get comfortable didn't fail to bring a smile to his face.

However, he wasn't smiling when he was awoken at four in the morning by the sound of voices. Or rather, one specific voice.

"Who said that?" He asked warily, trying to ignore the feeling of his body tensing as the prospect of possible intruders entered his mind. Just as he was about to reach for his phone, the realization hit him.

Gavin had stayed over the previous night, and was probably currently on the living room couch.

The fact that he had been torn from his dreams by his best friend didn't make him any happier about the situation. Sitting straight up in bed, Michael ran his hands through his hair several times before getting to his feet.

Michael pulled on a pair of pants before wandering from his room, not even bothering with a shirt for the moment. He was trying to decide how to tell Gavin off without yelling, when he saw just what was causing the commotion.

As Michael had expected, Gavin lie on the couch. However, rather than the noises coming from the television, which was what Michael had assumed was the case, they were instead coming from Gavin himself.

After staring in shock for several moments, Michael quickly rushed over to where the other man was practically convulsing. He dropped to his knees beside him, shaking his shoulders almost violently.

"Gavin," he shouted, hoping it would be enough to snap Gavin out of it. "Gavin, wake the fuck up!" The noises coming from his mouth were practically inhuman, and what words Michael could work out were too horrifying for him to repeat. He attempted to wake him for another minute, before finally realizing that the hospital would know what to do more than he would.

He had dialed 9-1 when the noises suddenly stopped.

Glancing up with a heavy heart, Michael was surprised to see Gavin rubbing his eyes. "Michael?" Gavin mumbled quietly, and Michael dropped his phone instantly, flinging himself forwards and wrapping his arms around the other man's shoulders.

The other man's body tensed underneath of him and Michael flushed, pulling his face out of Gavin's chest. "Fuck Gav, I thought-"

"God, Michael," Gavin gasped, his skin pale and sweat covering every inch of his body. Michael had never seen the other man look so scared, not even when the two of them would play horror games together.

Before Gavin could say another word, Michael was reaching for his phone. "You're going to the fucking hospital, Gav. They'll help you."

"They can't- they can't help me, Michael." Gavin murmured, slowly shaking his head. "No one can." His eyes were starting to look glazed over, forcing Michael to ignore what he had said.

"Shut the fuck up, Gavin. You had a goddamn stroke- or something. Of course they can."

A moment later, Gavin passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

Michael was confused.

Actually, confused was an understatement- he felt like his goddamn brain was preparing to either burst into flames or explode.

An ambulance had come soon after Michael called, and he was forced to explain what had happened yet again after people came with stretchers. Of course Michael had to tag along, his best friend was being admitted to the hospital for god's sake.

Everyone Michael had talked to since that point had seemed completely clueless as to what was going on with Gavin.

They tried to tell Michael that it was nothing more than a stroke, and that Gavin was simply resting. However, the combination of the hesitant looks on their faces and the fact that they still weren't admitting Michael into the room convinced him that their words were far from the truth.

But that wasn't even really the confusing part. The confusing part was the fact that Gavin had woken up.

Since the incident, Michael had been able to find a lot of time to think. One of the things that had really weighed on his mind was that he had spent so much time trying to 'wake' Gavin.

It was a ridiculous idea in the first place, since if Gavin actually had been having a stroke, calling an ambulance immediately would have been a much smarter idea. But somehow it had worked, and Gavin had talked to him.

Even that was weird in and of itself. He hadn't seemed affected at all, despite how much he had been spasming. He wasn't scared, wasn't even worried.

It was as if he didn't even realize what had happened.

Or he was used to it.

The very thought caused Michael to shiver- it sounded like something that Gavin would do, which made it that much more terrifying. That much more likely to be true.

Despite the fact that Michael hadn't actually been allowed to see Gavin, that hadn't stopped him from trying everything he could think up. Eventually, he hadn't been able to think of anything else to do, and fell asleep in the waiting area.

It was obvious that someone felt bad for him, and no one ever tried to kick him out. However, he was awoken the next morning by the nervous clearing of a man's throat.

Groaning quietly in discontent, Michael waved a hand in the direction of the sound, attempting to open his eyes, but failing. Fuck, why did everything have to be so bright in the morning?

"Mr. Jones?" A voice reached Michael's ears, and he groaned once more, squinting up at the man that was standing in front of him. Based on the way he was dressed and the name tag pinned to his jacket, Michael assumed he was Gavin's doctor.

Michael blinked several times in an attempt to wake himself, trying his best to make out the words on the other's name tag. "Dr. Pattillo," he said finally, nodding as he looked up to focus on the man's face. "Are you Gavin's doctor?"

"I am."

Before he could say another word, Michael was cutting him off. "How is he? He's not going to die, right?" He had meant for the words to sound slightly joking, his own attempt to lighten the situation. However, that plan had backfired when his voice wavered, revealing his genuine concern.

"I don't think so," the man replied quickly. "In fact, he's up and talking now. No signs that there was ever anything wrong with him." The look on the doctor's face was that of confusion, and Michael almost laughed. He had become far too familiar with that expression in the past few hours.

"So I can see him then?" Michael asked insistently, finally pushing himself into more of an upwards sitting position. "Fucking best friend in the hospital and all. Kind of want to talk to him."

Much to his disappointment, but not necessarily to his surprise, the other man was shaking his head almost immediately. "No, definitely not. I just wanted to give you an update on his state. We still have a lot of tests to conduct and-"

"Dr. Pattillo-"

"You can just call me Jack, if it makes you more comfortable."

Though he was surprised at the patience of the doctor in front of him, Michael nodded. "Jack, then. Please, just let me see him. You don't understand-"

"Trust me, Mr. Jones. I'm a doctor for a reason, I like to help people. I'd let you see him if I could, but unfortunately I can't. However, if I might give you a piece of advice?"

Sighing deeply, Michael closed his eyes, slumping back into his chair. "What's that?" He mumbled, sure that it wouldn't help, but willing to try anyways.

"Get out of here for a while. A hospital's a depressing enough place when you have shit to do- I can't imagine what it'd be like if you weren't able to put yourself to work and get your mind off of it."

\------------

As much as he didn't think he would, Michael took Jack's advice.

It had taken a while for him to decide that he would, and for at least a half hour he sat in the same chair, practically unmoving. His brain was racing in a million different directions, and eventually it had just become too much to handle.

On the way towards the door, Michael had raised a hand in the direction of the girl that had been working in the front office- her name was Lindsay, and Michael had talked to her quite a bit since his arrival. She had managed to calm some of his nerves, and Michael was beyond grateful for her.

"Will you be coming back?" She called after him, and Michael stopped dead in his tracks before glancing over his shoulder.

"My best friend's in the fucking hospital," he deadpanned, "no shit I'll be back." When Lindsay shot him a sheepish look, Michael chuckled, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "I just need some fresh air. A change of scenery. Jack suggested it, I decided it was a good idea."

Lindsay nodded, an understanding look on her face. "Of course. Well, I'll see you later then, Michael."

"Yeah, later."

And with that, Michael was exiting the building, taking a deep breath as soon as he had done so. He needed to get Gavin off of his mind, as quickly as possible. At least for now.

Alcohol was the best way he knew how to do that. Not a few minutes later, Michael found himself at a bar.

He had seen it on the way to the hospital, and had made a mental note of it in his mind. You never know when you're going to need a drink, and at that moment Michael was grateful he had taken that into consideration.

Sitting down on a barstool, Michael waited impatiently for the bartender to make his way towards him. He didn't want to be an ass, so he didn't say anything out loud, though in his mind he was yelling at the other man to hurry the fuck up.

As he didn't have anything better to do, he occupied his time by running his eyes over the person he was waiting for. He looked to be about Michael's height, and wore glasses. Internally, Michael sympathized with him- he had worn glasses for long enough himself to know that they were a pain in the ass.

Michael was torn from his thoughts by the very man he had been thinking about waving a hand in front of his face. "Hello, dude?" The guy laughed, his eyes sparkling. "Name's Ray, if that'll make you stop staring."

"Shit, sorry," Michael mumbled, locking eyes with the other man before shaking his head. "That was my bad. I'll have the three strongest shots you have, and a beer." Michael almost groaned at his own bluntness and rudeness, but then Ray was nodding and heading off.

Michael's thoughts didn't even have time to wander again before he heard another voice speaking up from beside him. "Sounds like someone wants to get drunk fast."

Turning his head, Michael raised an eyebrow at the man seated on the stool next to him. Tattoos covered his arms, and he had a very distinctive handlebar mustache. "Yeah," Michael muttered, turning back to Ray when the man placed his drinks on the table in front of him. "What about it?"

"Oh, nothing," the man replied, shaking his head. "It's just, I know that feeling."

"Trust me," Michael snapped, taking a long swig of his beer before setting it back down. "You really, really don't." He didn't know what had caused him to become so irritable, but something about the other man was putting him on edge.

Probably the fact that he had come to the bar to forget about Gavin, not meet someone new.

"Try me."

Michael's eyes narrowed as he swiveled his chair to face the other man, the irritation clear on his face. "Do you know the feeling of your best friend staying over at your place, only to have a stroke in the middle of the night? Or what you fucking think is a stroke. Do you understand the feeling of knowing that doctors are lying to you about whether or not he's alright, or even that they know what's wrong with him? Or how about-"

The other man was quickly cutting off his shouting, putting his hands out in front of him in a soothing gesture. "Okay," he exclaimed, "okay, I'm sorry. Just calm down, Michael."

However, the words didn't serve to calm Michael at all, his body tensing and his eyes going wide. Glancing towards the door, Michael wondered if he'd be able to bolt.

His panic obviously didn't go overlooked, and the man was starting to look uncomfortable where he sat. Michael thought he felt his eyelids growing heavy, but he forced them to remain open. "What's the matter?" The man asked, "Was it something I said?"

Michael almost spit at him.

"I never told you my name."


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as the accusation had been made, a smile was making its way across the man's face. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, though it was impossible to miss the slight waver in his voice. "You definitely did tell me- how else would I know it?"

There had never been a more important time for Michael to speak out, but in that moment he found that his mouth had sealed itself shut.

Glancing towards the door, Michael swallowed heavily. There was always the possibility that he was blowing things out of proportion- that he actually had fucked up and let his name slip, though he hadn't really intended to.

Despite the fact that he hadn't yet consumed much alcohol, Michael's head was starting to swim. The man with the mustache was saying something, but Michael wasn't paying attention. Then he was blurting out a question before he could help himself.

"So you know my name, but I don't know yours. What is it."

Something that Michael could only describe as relief washed over the other man's face, and he was speaking quickly. "Geoff."

Geoff looked as if he was about to say something else, but Michael was cutting him off before he was able to do so. "Well, Geoff. It was nice talking to you, but I have to go."

"But you didn't even finish your drinks."

Michael shook his head, getting to his feet. His heart was pounding inside his chest, and it felt like nothing he had ever experienced before. "Y-you can have them if you want. I didn't poison them or anything."

'You might have, though,' he added to himself.

"Are you sure?" Geoff asked, his voice starting to sound slightly panicked as he also got to his feet.

Taking a step back, Michael glanced towards the door once more. "Yeah, I'm fucking sure. Fuck off, dude. You're really starting to creep me out."

"How about-"

"No," Michael said, shaking his head as he backed towards the door. "Also, I take back what I said about it being nice talking to you." Then he was turning around and walking away.

He had never heard about anyone walking away from a bad situation before, but he was just a bit too drunk to worry about the repercussions. He was too worried, both about the situation and about Gavin, to think clearly.

If he was being honest, Michael almost expected to be stabbed as soon as he walked out the door. Or grabbed and pushed into the back of some shady ass limousine with a hand clapped over his mouth.

However, despite his concerns, Michael somehow made it back to the hospital without any incidents.

That just worried him more.

As soon as he walked through the front doors, he was greeted with Lindsay's cheery smile. "Back so soon?"

"Mmm," he grunted, squinting slightly in order to adjust to the brightness of the room. The pressure of a headache was starting to form, but he ignored it.

"You drunk?"

"Not so much so that I can't function," Michael replied, sitting down to mull over what had just happened. "Some really odd guy kept talking to me."

"Was he hitting on you?"

Michael looked up in surprise, knitting his eyebrows together and considering the concept before shaking his head. "I don't- I don't think so?"

"What was so odd about him?"

At that point, it didn't really matter to Michael who knew what had happened- it'd probably be better for more people to know anyways. "He knew my name, except I didn't tell it to him."

"You didn't talk to anyone else?"

Lifting his head, Michael locked eyes with Lindsay, knitting his eyebrows together in thought once more. "Well- I did. I talked to the barista, but I didn't tell him anything, either."

"You must just not remember, then. You have some alcohol in your system, anyways."

"Not much," Michael insisted with a shake of his head. "I was too worried to drink."

Lindsay didn't look convinced, but before she was able to say anything more, a phone was ringing. "Got to get that," she said quickly. "It's my job, after all."

For a minute, Michael didn't pay much attention to what the other was saying, too caught up in his own worries. But then he heard Lindsay's voice raise in excitement, and he raised his eyebrows. He didn't mean to listen in, but it was pretty much impossible not to.

"Yeah, he's right here."

A pause.

"Yes, he left. But he's back."

Another pause.

"Yes, already. And thankfully, too. I'll bring him right up." And then she was hanging up the phone, a wide smile spread across her face.

"What was that all about?" Michael asked, trying to sound uninterested. On the inside he was screaming.

"Your boyfriend-"

"Friend."

A groan escaped Lindsay's lips and she rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Fine. Your friend is asking for you. And Dr. Pattillo said it would be alright to grant his request."

Michael was on his feet in an instant. "Really? He's- god, Gavin's okay?"

"Well, okay enough to be asking for you. Might not be quite as energetic as you've depicted him as, but-"

"Where is he?"

Lindsay smiled, getting to her feet. "Tonight's been pretty slow, and we've got camera's on the entry. I can bring you to him."

"Thank you," Michael breathed out, a wave of relief washing over him. He didn't want to admit how worried he had been, and a lot of that had just been lifted from his shoulders.

"Of course."

\---------------

A few minutes later, Michael stood in Gavin's hospital room.

There was a nurse standing over where he sat in bed, checking his vitals. A confused look was plastered across her face- something that Michael had become uncomfortably used to seeing.

"I'm alright, love," Gavin said as he brushed her hands away, never once taking his eyes off of Michael.

"But you shouldn't be alright," she murmured, shaking her head. "You should-"

"Let's just say it's a miracle, yeah?" Michael instantly recognized the slightly irritated tone to his voice, though the nurse didn't seem to be affected by it. "Can I just have a word with my friend here? Alone?"

"I don't know if-"

"Dr. Pattillo said I was allowed to have visitors," Gavin insisted, raising his eyebrows and jerking his head towards the door. The woman was sighing a moment later, running a hand through her brown hair before nodding. "Of course."

And then she was leaving, closing the door behind her.

For a moment, neither Michael nor Gavin said a word, both unable to do anything but stare. Then Michael was rushing forwards hastily, not stopping until he was only about a foot away from the other man.

"What the fuck, Gavin," was all he was able to manage, immediately wiping away the moisture that was starting to collect in his eyes. Fuck that, he didn't care enough to cry.

Except he did.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Michael asked, voice cracking slightly as he forced out the words.

"Why didn't I tell you what?"

"That- god, that you had something wrong with you. For fuck's sake, Gavin. You weren't even phased by the fact you had a fucking stroke in your sleep."

"I didn't have a stroke, Michael." His voice was calm, and Michael was irritated by the soothing sensation it had on him.

"Yes you did, you-"

"Michael," Gavin said firmly, cutting him off. "I didn't have a stroke." He pronounced every word clearly, and Michael could only wish that he had the confidence that Gavin appeared to have.

"Fine then," Michael said finally, his body tense. "If you're going to act like you know so much, that you know better than the fucking doctors, then whatever. But you're going to fucking tell me what the hell is going on."

Gavin was running a hand through his hair then, quickly throwing the thin blankets to the side and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. "I can't, not right now," he said with a shake of his head. "There's not enough time."

"Not enough time? What the fuck does that mean?"

"It means that we need to get out of here."

"Gavin, you're not even dressed. You've still got the shitty doctor's gown on, we can't go anywhere with you looking like that."

Mere moments later Gavin was groaning in frustration, pushing himself off the bed and to his feet. Then he was placing his hands firmly on Michael's shoulders, the look on his face more intimidating than Michael ever would have thought he could pull off.

"You're- we're in danger, Michael. We have to go."


	4. Chapter 4

For a time, Michael could only stare.

Gavin's frantic expression didn't falter, no matter how much Michael wished that it would. He had long since grown used to Gavin's antics, his constant joking, even in serious situations. But Michael didn't think he was joking this time.

"Danger," Michael repeated quietly, running a hand through his hair as he puzzled over the word. "How are we in danger?"

"Because you didn't listen to me," Gavin said. Despite his harsh words, the other man didn't sound upset in the slightest. If anything, his tone was laced with concern.

That was enough to push Michael into irritated territory, his voice rising as he replied. "What the fuck? It's my- fuck that. If we seriously are in danger, I'm not going to let you blame it on me. At least not without a legitimate explanation."

"There's no time," Gavin exclaimed, grabbing Michael's hand and tugging him towards the door. "How many times do I have to say that before you understand? I'll explain later."

Planting his feet, Michael stood his ground. "Promise?"

"Oh my god, Michael. Bloody fuck. Fine, I promise I'll explain, though I'm not sure you'll believe me."

"After that weird ass stroke you had, I think I'll believe anything," Michael mumbled, but he allowed himself to be dragged along. For a fleeting second, Michael considered the fact that Gavin was basically holding his hand, but when he was pulled into a crouch, that thought left his mind.

Michael watched as Gavin peered around a corner wall, his entire body tense. "What-" Michael began, but the other man was quickly spinning around, clapping a hand over Michael's mouth and glaring at him.

"Quiet," Gavin mouthed, and Michael was too surprised to argue. Instead he simply nodded, his eyebrows knitting together as Gavin gingerly pulled his hand away. Then he was slowly standing to his feet, beckoning for Michael to follow as he walked forwards.

"Why can't we just check out?" Michael whispered quietly, and Gavin glanced over his shoulder at him.

"That's what they'd expect us to do."

"Who the fuck is 'they'?"

Gavin looked like he was about to groan, but he quickly set his jaw. "No time."

"Yeah, you've fucking said, asshole. When the fuck are you going to start explaining? Also, how the fuck do you know where to go, if we're not going out the front door?"

Shooting Michael an irritated glare, Gavin ran a hand through his hair. "I promised I'd explain everything later, didn't I? When we were safe?"

"Well yeah, but-"

"Then shut the hell up," Gavin replied firmly, emphasizing each word.

The urge to argue immediately made itself known to Michael, but he forced himself to keep his mouth shut. If the situation had been any different, he probably wouldn't have listened. However, he kept reminding himself that this was the most serious he had ever seen Gavin- that had to count for something.

A moment later, Gavin was stopping dead in his tracks. The suddenness surprised Michael, who promptly proceeded to slam into his back. Gavin lurched forwards, somehow managing to catch himself before he fell.

Large red letters were printed across the door in front of them, and it's message was far from subtle.

CERTIFIED PERSONNEL ONLY.

"Gavin," Michael began hesitantly, "you're not seriously thinking about going in there, are you? I'd rather not be arrested for trespassing or some bullshit."

"There's a back entrance through there though- it leads into an alley where the employees take their breaks."

"Gavin, you're not in your right mind," Michael said. "There's no way you could know that, and you probably shouldn't be leaving the hospital at all."

Despite Michael's desperate pleas, Gavin continued anyways. Opening the door without so much as an ounce of hesitation, he walked through. Michael tried to plant his feet once more, but Gavin wasn't fucking around. He roughly yanked on Michael's hand, almost causing him to lose his balance.

"Gavin, what the fuck-"

Then Gavin was making a sharp left turn, into a hallway. Before Michael could protest, the illuminated letters of an exit sign caught his eye. Turning to Gavin in confusion, Michael wasn't surprised when he found a cocky look on the other man's face.

"Told you."

"How did you-"

"Later," Gavin said, and when they were halfway down the hallway he stopped, dropping Michael's hand. "There are gonna be doctors outside that door, which means we're gonna have to push through them."

"Gavin-"

"Michael." The word was enough to make Michael clamp his mouth shut, but that didn't make him any less pissed about being interrupted for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Fine," Michael muttered angrily, his face red from pent-up frustration. Then Gavin was nodding, gesturing for Michael to follow him before quietly approaching the door.

Putting up three fingers, Gavin looked at Michael. "On my count," he said quietly. One by one, he dropped his fingers.

As soon as there were no fingers remaining, he was pushing forwards, bolting through the open door. Michael was right on his heels.

Just as Gavin had said, several men and women stood outside the door, though Michael didn't recognize any of them. Their expressions were nothing short of confusion, and Michael didn't blame them.

Faltering slightly, Michael almost slowed down, wanting to make sure that no one had been hurt. Then Gavin's voice was reaching his ears, drawing his attention forwards.

"Michael! Bloody hell- run!"

The words caused him to move once more, though he couldn't help but glance over his shoulder as he did.

A blurred figure caught his attention, but it was disappearing before he could focus. Despite not being able to see a clear image, Michael saw enough to send chills down his back. The most prominent features had been eerily familiar- sleeve tattoos and a mustache.

Michael sped up.

\--------------------

Michael wasn't sure how long they had run for, but his legs didn't even ache anymore- they had already went numb.

He was far too tired to resist- the urge had left him what seemed like hours ago. Especially when Gavin's only response to his complaints was to grunt, obviously uninterested.

After long last, Gavin began to slow in front of him, and Michael almost stumbled into him again. Trying to slow down when you can't feel your legs isn't exactly easy. "Are we- are we safe?" Michael panted, his voice strained as he gasped for breath.

"F-for now," Gavin managed- even though he didn't look it, he sounded just as tired as Michael felt.

"Thank Christ," Michael said. "Then you can start explaining. Like how the actual fuck did you know what was happening, and why the hell did you say it was my fault?"

"Michael, let me- let me catch my breath first."

"N-nah, fuck that. I'm talking, and I'm more out of breath than you are." As if to prove his point, he paused there, sucking in a deep breath before continuing. "You promised you were going to explain later. It's later."

The look on Gavin's face was pure exasperation, and then he was wiping the sweat off his face. "Alright," he said finally, running a hand through his hair. "But it's a long story."

"Trust me, I got time."

Gavin hesitated once more, before nodding slowly. "Well, let's start with the easiest to understand- how I knew what was happening." He paused there, knitting his eyebrows together.

"Come on," Michael prompted. "Don't you fucking make me wait."

"It's hard to explain," Gavin said slowly, "because even I'm not exactly sure what all it is. I just know- because- because I've already seen it happen."


	5. Chapter 5

When Michael finally recovered, his only reaction was to laugh.

Gavin watched as the other man attempted to calm himself down, a confused look plastered across his face as Michael struggled to calm his breathing. Once Michael had quieted, wiping a few stray tears away from his eyes, the seriousness returned to his face.

"Alright, Gav," he said sarcastically, tilting his head to the side as a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "You can see the future. I understand the need to try to make the situation a bit less intense, but there's no need to be a fucking dipshit about it."

"I wasn't joking," Gavin replied insistently, his eyebrows knit together as he continued to study Michael's face. "I knew you wouldn't believe me, and I told you that. I also told you that it was a long story. There's no need to laugh."

The smile hadn't left Michael's face, but the serious expression caused him to doubt himself. "Gavin, that's impossible," he said, after a few moments of simply staring at his friend. "There's no way in hell that you can see the fucking future."

Sighing heavily, Gavin ran a hand through his hair before narrowing his eyes at Michael. "Then how else do you think I could explain knowing all of that shit beforehand?" He asked, and Michael felt his confidence level drop a bit more.

"I don't know," he said with a shrug. "You could have explored the place while I wasn't there. Fuck if I know, Gavin. All I know is that you've seemed a little off since you had that goddamn stroke."

"It wasn't a stroke," Gavin exclaimed, his voice rising a bit. "How many bloody fucking times do I have to tell you?"

The harshness of Gavin's tone was enough to put Michael on edge, and he raised his eyebrows, his own voice getting louder as he replied. "You'll have to keep fucking telling me, until the doctors confirm otherwise. You didn't see yourself, Gavin. I was worried as fuck, because I've never seen anything like that before."

"Exactly," Gavin said, and Michael scoffed.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"You said that you've never seen anything like that before," Gavin repeated, staring at Michael as if that would explain everything. "I don't know about you, but I think that statement pretty much speaks for itself."

"I don't-"

"Michael," Gavin said, his voice laced with frustration. "You know what a stroke looks like, I know you do. And it wasn't what I had. Somewhere, you know that."

Averting his eyes, Michael glared at the ground, refusing to look Gavin in the eye. If he was being honest with himself, Gavin was right. But he didn't want to admit that, especially not without a better explanation.

He decided to do it anyways.

"Fine," he said bitterly, "Maybe I do know that. But so fucking what? You're the one that won't talk to me- you kept this entire thing a secret from me for hell knows how long."

Gavin groaned, forcing Michael to lift his head. "What do you think I'm trying to do right now?" Gavin asked, and it was obvious that he was trying to keep himself calm. "I'm trying to explain, but you won't bloody let me talk."

"Okay," Michael said, "Fucking talk, then. Though it's not like anything you say is going to make sense."

"I can deal with that," Gavin replied, his body starting to relax slightly. Then he was sliding down the side of a building, sitting on the ground. "Though you might want to sit down. I wasn't kidding when I said that it might take a while."

For a minute, Michael stared at Gavin. Then he was nodding slowly, dropping to the ground and crossing his legs, sitting directly in front of the other man. Before Gavin could start speaking however, Michael was speaking. "Am I going to believe any of this?"

The other man didn't say anything for a long time, eyes simply scanning Michael's face. Then he was shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know," he replied, and Michael could tell that he was being honest. "I don't know if you'll believe me. It's a crazy, impossible story, and sometimes I don't believe it myself. But it's the truth, I swear."

It took a moment for Michael to manage any sort of reply, but eventually he managed a nod. The serious look on Gavin's face made him want to believe him, and he decided to give him this. "Alright," he said quietly. "You talk, and I won't interrupt you, no matter how much I want to. But I sure as fuck am going to have a hell of a lot of questions when you're done."

"Understandable," Gavin replied, a small smile crossing his face. It was the happiest he had looked for what seemed like forever, and Michael was glad he had made the decision he did.

Gavin didn't speak for a time, his face showing how much focus he was putting into the situation. But before Michael could prompt him on, he was speaking.

"I've been like this for as long as I can remember," Gavin began, and Michael focused on the faraway look in the other man's eyes. "For a long time, I kept it a secret, because it just- it was weird. I obviously knew that none of my friends had my... ability. And it got to me sometimes, just how different I really was."

Sympathy washed over Michael's face and he almost cut Gavin off, but then he was clamping his mouth shut. He had made a promise, and he was going to stick to it.

"It fucked me over sometimes, too," Gavin continued. "Sometimes I forgot that I knew things people didn't, and accidentally said things that I shouldn't have." Michael opened his mouth to speak, and then Gavin was holding up a hand. "It doesn't- doesn't matter what I said. Just know that the results weren't always pleasant."

Gavin's voice cracked at that, and Michael felt the urge to lean forward to hug him. Ultimately he decided against it.

A long moment passed before Gavin spoke again, but when he did, his voice was calm once more. "Then one day, someone found out. I don't know who it was, or how they knew. More likely than not, one of my friends ratted me out."

As hard as he tried, it was impossible for Michael to keep his mouth shut any longer. "That was a bitch move," he blurted out, and Gavin smiled weakly.

"Yeah, maybe a bit. Though like I said, I still don't know who it was. Could have been no one. At any rate, they started coming after me. And no, I don't know who 'they' is. All I know is that, all of a sudden, I was in danger. That's when I moved."

Smiling slightly, Gavin looked at Michael for the first time since he had started talking. "I met you, and a few other people. No one was chasing me anymore, and everything was fine. Even the dreams- or experiences, or whatever the hell they are- they stopped. For a while at least."

"But you started having them again," Michael finished.

"Yeah. I was normal for a few months, and then everything went to shit again." He paused for a moment, and he looked as if he was trying to work out what exactly to say. Michael waited patiently, listening intently when he continued. "At first, I was traumatized. I was afraid that the same things were going to happen- I'd lose all my friends, and would have to move across the world again."

"But?"

Gavin ran a hand through his hair before continuing. "But then I met you."

If Michael had been confused before, it didn't matter. At the few simple words, Michael felt like his world had been shook, and he almost got up to leave.

"What do you mean- you met me?" Michael asked, his voice shaking slightly as he spoke. "I don't- I don't have anything to do with this. I'm just some guy you just happened to meet. Your life would have been just the same if you hadn't met me."

"I don't believe that," Gavin said with a shake of his head. "I- Michael, I already knew you, back when I met you. You were the one person I had been dreaming, or seeing, or imagining- whatever- since I was just a kid."

Squirming uncomfortably where he sat, Michael glanced over his shoulder. He could leave. Everything inside of him was screaming him to get out of there, to just forget any of this had ever happened. He could still be friends with Gavin, as long as this was never mentioned again. But his curiosity got the better of him.

"Okay," he said softly. "Even if that is true, you said you were traumatized before you met me. Just meeting someone you had been seeing- that couldn't fix everything."

There was another long pause, in which Gavin only studied Michael's face. But then he was nodding to himself, running a hand through his hair. "Because before I met you, what I saw was fact. It would always happen that way, and I had come to terms with that. But when I met you, what I saw wasn't always true. I could- things weren't set in stone anymore. You changed the rules."


	6. Chapter 6

For some reason, that time Michael couldn't bring himself to laugh.

He wanted to, tried to force it out. However, there was something about the seriousness Gavin was showing- both on his face and in his posture- that made it impossible.

Gavin wasn't lying to him, and if he was, he didn't know it himself. Throughout his years Michael had developed what he proudly referred to as a bullshit detector. It was easy for him to spot, with nearly perfect accuracy, if someone was saying something they believed to be untrue. 

Unfortunately, that came from many years of having been lied to. Michael tried to ignore that part.

No matter how the ability had managed to manifest itself in Michael, there was no doubt that it came in handy. This was a prime example of that very thing- Gavin was dead serious, and Michael could tell.

"You're not kidding," he said finally, though if Gavin could have heard his thoughts it would have been a ridiculous statement. Due to the situation, it was the best he could do.

A look of relief seemed to wash over Gavin's face at his words, followed by a quick shake of his head. "Not at all," he replied, squaring his shoulders. He seemed proud, and Michael could only imagine it was because he had never been able to convince anyone to believe him.

"You, you have to admit it's kind of fucking weird," Michael said, tearing his eyes away from Gavin as he did so. He didn't want to see the way he assumed the other man's face would fall at the words.

The silence that followed was of a length that Michael wasn't sure he had ever heard before, even in the rare instances that he was alone at home. Even then there were noises- the slamming of doors in other apartments, the murmur of voices, sometimes even shouts.

This was a different sort of silence, the kind in which you could hear a pin if it was dropped. Neither man said anything for what seemed like days, and the silence only grew longer at the thought of interrupting it. 

After long last Gavin was speaking, and though his voice was quiet, it sounded like a gunshot in contrast to the lack of sound that had proceeded it.

"Yeah," was his simple response. "Yeah it's weird, I know. I've been an outcast my entire life because of it. It's fucking weird, and sadly there's nothing I can do about it. If I could hit a switch and have this weird ass ability leave my life forever, believe me, I would."

"But...?" Michael had sensed the slightest bit of hesitance in his words, and against his better judgement, had acted on that feeling. 

Again, silence.

However, this silence was much shorter. "But sometimes it can be helpful. Like, if I wouldn't have seen what was going to happen in the hospital, the two of us would be dead right now." Michael felt his entire body tense at the words, but before he could respond, Gavin was continuing. "Of course, if I didn't have the ability in the first place, I wouldn't have people trying to kill me."

With that, Gavin was getting to his feet and Michael looked up at him in surprise. "What are you doing?"

The look that Gavin shot him made him feel stupid, as if he should know the answer already, but he told himself that wasn't the case. 

"We," he said, putting emphasis on the word, "are leaving. Staying in one place for so long- it's not safe. I know a place that's safer. A friend of mine lives about an hour away from here. I would have kept going, but you seemed to be dying for both an explanation and to catch your breath."

"Well excuse me," Michael replied, dragging the phrase out sarcastically, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He began to get to his feet as he continued. "I wasn't exactly aware I was going to be fucking running for my life any time soon, so I didn't think to prepare for it."

Gavin laughed, and for the first time since everything had started to go to shit, he sounded genuinely amused. Michael felt his heart swell at the sound, happy that he had been the one to put a smile on his face. 

\--------------

It turned out that a leisurely stroll was much harder on the legs than intense running. At least with running, Michael's legs had become immune to the sensation. 

With walking, his body had much more time to protest what was happening, the previous numbness being replaced with a dull ache that occasionally led to his knees buckling underneath of him.

Somehow Gavin hardly seemed affected by the physical exertion, which honestly was the last thing Michael had been expecting. However, with how long they had been walking, Michael had been presented with time to think. It made sense that if Gavin truly thought he was in danger, he would have taken the precautions to be able to run away.

Despite the fact that Gavin had said their 'safe house' was only an hour away, it felt like much longer. At several points Michael had attempted to strike up a conversation, only to be shot down. It seemed that Gavin preferred to walk in silence, and Michael didn't blame him considering the situation. 

Gavin had put all of his cards on the table, things that he debatably hadn't told anyone before. And if he had told people, he hadn't explained as in depth as he had to Michael. That was fairly obvious thanks to the uncomfortableness that had been on the other man's face the entire time he was talking.

Just as he was about to say something to lighten the mood, though in all honesty he was going to complain about his legs, Gavin came to a stop. 

The suddenness of his actions caused Michael to stumble over his own feet, almost running into Gavin in the process. He placed a hand on the other man's shoulder to steady himself, before blushing and pulling away. "S-sorry," he mumbled quietly, but Gavin only shook his head. 

"We're here."

It wasn't what Michael had been expecting.

Rather than a run down, decrepit warehouse in the middle of nowhere, the two now stood in front of an apartment building. 

"This?" Michael questioned, waving a hand in the direction of the building. "This is what we walked for fucking hours to get to?"

"It was only an hour, Michael," Gavin said, an amused smile plastered across his face. "And yes, it is. I have a friend that lives on the very top floor, and believe me, we'll be much safer with him than we would be on the streets somewhere. To fuck with him you'd have to be either unbelievably devoted or just downright insane."

Michael looked upward, a curious look on his face. "The top floor, you say?"

"The very tippy top."

Then Gavin was strolling forward quickly, and Michael had to double his previous speed to keep up. "Why so fast all of a sudden?" He asked, almost wary of the response.

"Just don't want to be spotted outside here," Gavin replied with a shrug. "If we can't be linked to this building, then it'll make it that much more difficult for them to find us."

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Michael knew what Gavin was saying made sense. Unfortunately, the statement wasn't exactly easy on his nerves, and he scratched nervously at the back of his neck as he followed the other man.

The ride to the top seemed to take an hour in and of itself, but luckily they didn't have to make any stops along the way. If he wouldn't have been so distracted, Michael might have found that odd.

When they finally arrived at their destination, a single door at the end of a long hall, Michael looked over his shoulder anxiously. "You don't find the location of this apartment sort of creepy?" He asked finally. 

Gavin's weak laugh didn't help him feel any better this time around.


End file.
